Mission
Nearly 150 years later, our research group shares the dedication of
Dr. Ellen Henrietta Swallow Vassar as we strive to protect environmental
and human health from exposure to microbial pathogens. We now
have advanced tools in microbiology, molecular microbiology,
next-generation sequencing, long-read sequencing, bioinformatics, and
statistics. Our research group is dedicated to integrating across
disciplines to advance our knowledge of pathogen assessments at various
sites (environmental, recreational, or drinking water) and ultimately to
prevent infectious waterborne diseases. Microbial water quality research
is experiencing an amazing period of growth, and we are helping to lead
that effort. If you are interested in learning more about our work,
please explore this site and feel free to contact us if you have any
questions.
Welcome
We are fortunate to reside within the Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering at Washington State
University, in the Voiland College
of Engineering and Architecture. Our department has a rich history
of outstanding research and engineering practice in water quality,
hydrology, and natural environment preservation and protection. Our lab
is in the PACCAR
Environmental Technology Building, a hub of interdisciplinary
research and education and a Certified
LEED New Construction Gold. We have direct access to qPCR, BSL2, BSL
2+ labs, Illumina
Sequencing, PacBio Sequencing,
and genotyping. Over the years, we have benefited from rich
collaborations with diverse colleagues in environmental engineering,
microbiology, virology, and public health. These include Drs. Irene Xagoraraki, Joan Rose, Marirosa
Molina, and Melissa
Gonzales. Through these great collaborations, we are passionate
about addressing environmental challenges in environmental and human
health.